Look Smart: Light Touch

Wave On

Even professional stylists need a hand for their own main event. Although she did her own makeup, Rachelle Wilke recruited trusted coworker and friend Nicole Cowin of Sorella Salon and Spa to help her achieve a subtly nostalgic mood befitting the vintage ’50s dress she wore when she wed Taylor Short at Seattle’s Temple of Latter Day Saints on June 7, 2012.

HAIR To achieve loose, windswept locks, Cowin spritzed Wilke’s auburn hair with Oribe’s Dry Texturizing Spray and then wound one-inch sections around a curling iron. She set each curled piece with pins, and once the hair had cooled completely she lightly misted the entire do with Oribe Superfine Hair Spray. After 15 minutes, the curls were ready to be brushed out with a Mason Pearson boar bristle brush. The finishing touch: a rhinestone hairpiece for a flash of glamour. “To anchor the piece I backcombed the desired section so there was something to grip, and double-secured it with a few bobby pins,” Cowin explains. The final effect left Wilke with soft, natural curls that lasted through the crowd’s sparkler send-off.

MAKEUP Wilke trusted her own expertise—and her own natural look—for her big-day makeup. First step: letting those freckles shine. Wilke says, “My husband loves them and wanted to see them that day so I just applied a soft, translucent coverage using GloMinerals in Satin Number Two.” She then focused her efforts on striking eye makeup, finishing her soft, smoky lids with MAC false eyelash strips. “Using strips instead of individual extensions makes the look more dramatic,” she says. To secure the lashes, Wilke lined each strip with eyelash glue and let it dry until slightly tacky. Wilke instructs DIYers to start in the inner corners of the eyelids and gently apply pressure until the lashes are dry, and she says a layer of MAC waterproof mascara is key for avoiding tear streaks.

Swept Away

Physical therapist Cristin SanFelippo envisioned her October 13, 2012, wedding to Ryan Hovee as a rustic and elegant affair to match the down-to-earth vibe of their Port Gamble venue. The bride worked with Bellingham gown designer Rebecca Cairelli to create a feminine look topped off by a chapel-length veil for romantic allure. “Our beauty plan was to add drama with an updo, while keeping it soft and romantic with a subdued palette,” says SanFelippo. Working with Jacquelynn Reasy Woodward and Jessie Reasy Hagen of Sorella Salon and Spa, the bride’s look was secure despite the blustery autumn day.

HAIR Woodward took the brisk weather into account and focused on properly setting the bride’s hair for long-lasting style. She applied Oribe’s Foundation Spray from roots to ends when SanFelippo’s locks were wet and, after blow-drying, used a flat iron to create soft curls. “This technique is amazing because it eliminates frizz and gives hair a unique wave,” the stylist explains. Woodward set each section with Oribe Superfine Hair Spray before molding the locks into a backswept coif. Woodward’s tip for securing an updo? A variety of bobby pins in all shapes and sizes. She uses extra-large pins internally and extra-small ones on the outside to reduce visibility.

MAKEUP Aiming for that subtle and natural look, Hagen selected neutral shadows in Twig and Orchid by GloMinerals, applying the shades layer by layer for a deep, rich effect. “Achieving a natural look requires a lighter hand with application, particularly with foundation and eyeliner,” Hagen says. And that “naked face” look is all about starting with a flawless canvas. Hagen uses Thalgo’s Cleansing Milk and Energizing Vitality Cream to get clean and moisturized skin, then follows it with a light, even application of GloMinerals’ Liquid Base.